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Dec 16, 2017

Champagne Babas

Babas are little yeasted pastries that resemble little chef's hats.

Babas are made with a dough enriched with butter and eggs, and then soaked in a boozy syrup (usually rum) and then topped with an apricot jam glaze.
Sometimes they are filled with rum soaked raisins or currants, and finished with whipped cream or pastry cream. They'd also be wonderful served with fresh berries.

I baked these babas in 3 inch panettone papers, but you can make these in custard cups, muffin tins, or even mini muffin tins. If you have a popover pan, that would work great too.

Evidently, the name "baba" comes from Ali Baba of the story 1001 Arabian Nights. This story was a favorite of the baba's inventor, the Polish King Stanislas Leszczynski. While exiled in France, he added rum to the region's cakes because he thought the French cakes were too dry (source: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan).

These are pretty easy to make. The hardest part is dividing the dough among the molds, as the dough is almost batter-like but very stretchy from the developed gluten. I used two tablespoons to lift and drop the dough into the molds. You could also use oiled hands to portion the dough.

I had some leftover soaking syrup, and it made delicious simple syrup with the hint of sparkling wine flavor. It was delicious in cocktails.

After the recipe, be sure to check out the links to the rest of the Bread Baking Babes' Babas.

Yield: 6 Small Babas - 12 mini Babas

Champagne Baba

ingredients:

Sponge

100 grams water

1 tsp instant yeast

100 grams bread flour

Final Dough

All of the sponge

180 grams bread flour

1/2 tsp fine salt

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla powder

3 large eggs

90 grams melted and cooled butter

Soaking syrup

150 grams sugar

150 grams water

120 grams champagne, cava, or prosecco (I used cava)

Apricot Glaze and Finishing

85 grams apricot jam

2 tablespoons of the soaking syrup

Prepared whipped cream

instructions:

Sponge

Mix the sponge ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Cover the mixture with the 180 grams of bread flower from the final dough.

Final Dough

Add the salt, yeast, sugar, and eggs to the bowl, and mix with the paddle attachment until it comes together and is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add the melted butter and keep mixing to develop the gluten. The final dough should be smooth and elastic, and very sticky. Do not add more flour.

Spray six 3-inch mini panettone molds, or 12 mini muffin cups or small molds with spray oil. Divide the dough among the molds, about half way (no more), and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Let the dough rise to just below the top of the molds, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the bread reaches an interior temperature of 195 to 200 degrees F.

Cool the babas in the molds for about 5 minutes, and then remove them from the molds and cool completely.

Store the unsoaked babas wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature until ready to soak and fill. They can also be well wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

To Soak and Serve

Bring the sugar and water to a boil and cook until all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the champagne, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat.

Carefully pour the syrup into a wide shallow heatproof dish, and place the babas into the syrup, and spoon the syrup over the tops. You can also poke a few holes through the babas with a toothpick or cake tester so that more syrup gets into the cakes.

Using a slotted spoon, move the babas to a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain. Most of the syrup should be absorbed into the cakes.

Using a food processor or hand blender, blend the apricot jam. Add two or three tablespoons of the soaking liquid, and heat the jam until warm, and then spoon over the babas.

If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days (they are best served the day they are made). When ready to serve, prepare your favorite whipped cream recipe, and pipe it into the the middle of or on the side of the babas.

Little panettone paper moulds, that is a great idea! Never thought of that (and I have them in store). Love the presentation, cream in the middle and the 'head' next to it, lovely. I wonder how you could have any syrup left over, mine could have done with more if I had some....I think these little one have a high "cute"factor!

This traditional shape certainly is perfect for the syrup and I love the top cut off and then the whip cream top! Totally slap my forehead for not thinking "I used two tablespoons to lift and drop the dough into the molds. You could also use oiled hands to portion the dough." I'm adding that to my record of this recipe. Thanks for that history as well. I really like the idea of raisin stuffing these...so would my husband.